







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | |
| You don't know the story behind it. | |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | |
| Yes, the guy with the beard is Mike. | |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | |
| No, but I definitely don't want to live in that house anymore! | |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | |
| I see, I love cooking! | |
| It's the second one from the top. | |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | |
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | |
| All of my work is in that laptop and I don't have any backup! | |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | |
| What’s their name? | |
| Yes, that's the one. | |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | |